


Theology Lessons

by forkflinger



Category: Seiken Densetsu 3
Genre: All 6 of them are in the party AU, Fluff, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 21:23:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19732036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forkflinger/pseuds/forkflinger
Summary: “So... you worship a tree.”Hawkeye finds amusement on a long walk.





	Theology Lessons

Hawkeye wasn’t built for endurance. Dash and grab, that was his M.O., not long hikes through the mountains. Luckily, he’d found a way to amuse himself. “So… you worship a tree.”

“The Goddess of Mana isn’t a tree,” Riesz responded through gritted teeth, eyes fixed forward as she walked. “She’s in the tree.”

“Right, right.” He nodded, then tilted his head. “I mean, trees are cool and all, but I don’t think they’re  _ that _ good. Even a really big one.”

“She’s not a tree.”

“I dunno, maybe it’s because I’m from the desert. Kinda light on trees. Could she be a sand dune? I could relate better if she was a sand dune. Or a big rock.”

“She can’t be a sand dune.”

“Oh, because she’s already a tree.”

“She’s not - !” Riesz caught herself mid shout and took a deep breath. If she’d turned around, she’d have spotted the grin on Hawkeye’s face. “She’s not a tree.”

“What kind of tree?” he continued, stepping over a protruding root. “Like, probably not a palm tree. Hmm. I don’t know much about trees. Is she an oak tree? Those are big, right?” He turned around and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Hey, Kevin!” he shouted, walking backwards. “What’s the best kind of tree?”

“Pine smells nice!” Kevin shouted back, from his position toward the rear of the group. “But sticky.”

“Thanks for the input!” He turned back around. “Kevin says pine trees are the best,” he said. “And he grew up in a forest, so he knows trees. So, she’s probably a pine tree, right? I know if I was a tree I’d want to be the best tree.” He rubbed his chin in fake contemplation. “Then again, would a goddess want to be sticky? Oh!” He snapped his fingers. “Maybe it’s a defense mechanism! No one wants to touch her because their fingers would get all sticky. That must be how she protects the Sword of Mana, too! It’s just stuck to her. Because a tree can’t hold a sword.”

“The Goddess of Mana is not a tree,” Riesz muttered. “She is a Goddess.”

“Doesn’t mean she can’t be a tree. I’d imagine a Goddess can be whatever she wants. Otherwise, what’s the point of being a Goddess?”

Riesz stopped and spun around, planting the butt of her spear in the ground. “Faerie!” she called. “Please come tell Hawkeye that the Goddess of Mana isn’t a tree.”

A blue light appeared, hovering over Charlotte’s head. It floated up toward Riesz. “The Goddess of Mana dwells within the Tree of Mana,” said Faerie in a voice like windchimes, “which grows in the Sanctuary.”

“Yes, exactly,” said Hawkeye. “She’s a tree.”

“She’s not a tree!” Riesz declared.

“The Goddess is connected to the Tree,” Faerie added. “They cannot live apart.”

“That doesn’t mean she  _ is _ the tree,” said Riesz. “You’re not your house just because you live in it.”

“But if my house dies, I don’t die,” answered Hawkeye. “And vice versa.”

“We could find out,” Riesz mumbled under her breath. Out loud, she said, “Maybe you should ask Charlotte about it. She probably knows the most of any of us.”

“Oh, I already did.” Hawkeye examined his fingernails. “She says the Goddess is a tree.”

“She -  _ what _ ?”

“I don’t think she paid much attention in religion school or whatever.”

“Neither did you, apparently.”

“Thieves aren’t exactly the most religious bunch. Even noble ones.” He dropped into a pout. “I was deprived of education. Never learned this stuff. I wasn’t even all that sure the Mana Goddess was real until an actual faerie showed up. Pity me.”

Riesz crossed her arms and closed her eyes, tapping her foot. After a long moment she sighed. “Fine,” she said. “I… will try to be more understanding of your… upbringing.”

Hawkeye smirked. “Thank you.”

“Hey!” The shout came from up ahead, and they both looked up to realize the rest of the group had passed them by. Duran was waving at them. “Are you coming or what?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hawkeye called back. “We’re coming.” He started walking. “Riesz was just teaching me all about how the Mana Goddess is a tree.”

“What?” Duran frowned. “The Mana Goddess isn’t a tree, Riesz. Don’t be stupid.”

“I’m not - ugh!” She tightened her grip on the shaft of her spear and glared at Hawkeye, who winked before taking off at a jog to catch up with the others.   
  


* * *

  
  


The group was somber as they walked through the newly silent Sanctuary. They had been victorious; they had defeated the forces of evil and saved the world, but at the cost of a friend. As they reached the clearing where Flammie could land to pick them up, Hawkeye was the first to speak.

“So… she  _ is  _ a tree.”

Riesz hit him.


End file.
